Download the mobile app!
Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
05 December, 2025
Pic of the Week goes to @mlecras2 with this 111cm stunner of a barra up in the Kimberley with Samuel Birch from @birchys_fishing_tours.
Tag #recfishwest in your posts or send them via DM to our Instagram @recfishwest—don’t forget to include where and how you caught it!
For your photos to be featured, make sure they follow our responsible handling and photography guidelines, which means fish held horizontally and not vertically by the gills, no blood, one hand under the belly and the other holding the tail, preferably water in the background etc). Stay safe, have fun, and keep sharing your awesome catches!
It’s been a massive week for fishing across the state. As you may have already heard, WA Premier Roger Cook and the Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis recently announced a major shake-up of statewide demersal fisheries management.
You can read the Minister’s media release here.
The key points of this announcement were:
Biggest fisheries reset in WA history - the State Government will close the West Coast demersal fishery until September 2027 and dramatically cut commercial effort statewide.
It’s bloody tough and a shock for all of us, says Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland.
Major policy shift - Government will buy back all commercial licences in the West Coast and prioritise recreational fishing access when the fishery reopens.
Long-term gains for fishers - the reset will ensure spawning protection for dhufish, rebuild stocks, leave more fish in the water, and protect WA’s fishing lifestyle.
Click here to listen to Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland’s recent ABC radio interview on this announcement.
Click here to listen to Western Angler Editor Scott Coghlan’s take on the changes also on the ABC.
Recfishwest will continue to keep you up to date as more details emerge on this - stay tuned to our channels.
Another solid barra snap from @tackleworldbroome after local fishers Tom and Owen had an awesome session this week, landing a 110, 107, 96, 94, 89, 81, 68 and 60 that were all safely released to fight another day.
Once again strong winds have confined crews to the creeks of Roebuck Bay. Dampier Creek has held threadfin salmon and barramundi, but it has been slow on the crabbing front. More barramundi and threadfin salmon have been active at the Fingers with muddies in better numbers there. Threadfin and barramundi have also been active at the mouths of creeks further to the North-East near Derby. Tripletail were around the moorings in Roebuck Bay and also at the mouths of Crab and Dampier creeks. Apart from midday lulls, the stronger west to north-westerly winds will stick around this week. Midday on Sunday looks best at this stage but conditions should improve by around Wednesday.
Shore-Based
The Fitzroy River has improved for barramundi fishing with Telegraph Pool and Langi Crossing the better spots. Threadfin salmon have been showing up in better numbers as well. The Town Beach Jetty has thrown up a few bluebone along with small trevally and queenfish. Entrance Point has held these species along with the odd coral trout and Spanish flag. All these species are also a chance at Gantheraume Point and James Price Point with Spanish mackerel and mangrove jack also in the mix. Willie Creek has held mangrove jack, while blue salmon have been taken at 80-Mile Beach.Big thanks to the crew from Tackle World Broome for their tips! Make sure you pay them a visit for the best gear and advice for your next fishing trip.
A shoutout to @fraser_dean_nt up in the Pilbara this week, who managed to spear this 24.8kg mackie. Definitely worth chucking the sickie from school for this fish!
Reef fishing has been very good on the west side with plenty of coral trout, Rankin cod, bluebone and red emperor taken in 20-60m. Just the odd blue marlin has been landed out wide, but Spanish mackerel have been active at the back off the reef and off Tantabiddi. Plenty of crews have been fishing at the islands where the same reef species have been reported along with good numbers of Spanish mackerel. The Shoals in Exmouth Gulf have yielded blue-lined emperor and coral trout. King Reef had been a hotspot for big golden trevally, but that seems to have quietened down over the past couple of days. Cobia and the odd small Spanish mackerel have also been caught in the Gulf, while fly-fishers have landed bluebone and a few permit on the offshore sandflats. Squid fishing has been good in close with many crews bagging out. A heads up that the Australian Defence Force will be conducting exercises at Bundegi Beach and the Bundegi boat ramp from 8-17th December, which means the Bundegi boat ramp will be closed and inaccesible for the entirety of the upcoming Exmouth Heavy Tackle Tournament. In better news though, the Shire of Exmouth will be undertaking sand excavation works at Tantabiddi boat ramp from 8-10th December (will take place during the early morning low tides and should be completed by 10am each morning), and this should make the ramp more user-friendly during the event itself. With a consistent 2m swell this week along with moderate to strong south-westerly winds, your best bet would be to duck out in the Gulf although that is looking choppy as well.
It seems most fishers have been talking their way on to a boat of late with shore fishing much quieter this week despite good conditions. Whiting have been plentiful right along the Gulf’s beach with decent-sized tings taking prawn baits and smashing poppers. Down Learmonth way a sizeable cobia was landed, while the town marina has held a few mangrove jack and bream, along with small cod, trevally and queenfish. Sizeable bluebone have been seen cruising about there, while the marina’s outside rock wall has fished well for squid, as did the rocks at the industrial estate. Only a few reports have come in from elsewhere but there’s no reason why VLF Bay, Tantabiddi, Lighthouse Bay and the Mildura Wreck won’t be holding spangled emperor and bluebone.These great tips were courtesy of the friendly team at Tackle World Exmouth. Swing by their store for the best advice and gear ahead of your next trip!
The whites run looks a week or so off, but crews have been doing well on red crayfish. Things have become interesting on the pelagic front, with a crew sighting busy Spanish mackerel activity while pulling their pots. They got plenty of follows after casting larger Buckabou jigs, but no hook-ups. Shore fishers also report plenty of mackies free-jumping at Wagoe and there have been whispers of Spanish mackerel catches at Lucky Bay. It’s a 2m swell with consistent moderate to strong southerly winds this week so it won’t be too comfortable out there.
Red Bluff and Wittecarra Creek have been fishng well for tailor and herring along with the odd mulloway. Cliff fishers have been picking up pink snapper along with big tailor, while some nice tailor have also been caught near the river mouth. Mulloway have turned up in the Murchison River as well with a nice fish landed around Red Rocks. Jumbo tailor have been in the system as well, but most of the fish hooked have been lost. The river staples of bream and cod have been going all right around the marina, while the Sand Spit and the river mouth have produced a nice mix of sand whiting and yellowfin whiting. Both blue swimmer crabs and muddies have been fishing very well too. A young angler tried lure fishing for the first time last week and using a Berkley Shimma Shrimp picked up two decent-sized mangrove jack. Wagoe has been fishing well for tailor, mulloway, pink snapper and the odd yellowtail kingfish.Shout out to Kalbarri Sports and Dive for their tips! Feel free to venture into the store and ask for advice if you're wetting a line around Kalbarri.
Carla with her second pinkie landed in one session recently in town!
A very quiet week on the boating front but the weather certainly hasn’t made it easy. Most crews have been concentrating on crayfishing with the bulk of the action taking place south of town and down to Port Denison. Unfortunately, the forecast is looking nasty with strong southerlies and a 2m swell expected all week. Land-based would be the way to go.
Tailor fishing has been quite good, if a little patchy. Most have been choppers, but some good fish to 75cm have been mixed in. Both the first and second points at Greenough have held mostly tailor around 40cm, along with plenty of pike, but blowfish have been bad here so larger lures or poppers is the way to go. On most mornings fishers at Tarcoola have been getting a feed of bull herring, but most of the tailor there have been undersized. Solid whiting around 30cm have offered some consolation. When the weed hasn’t been too bad Separation Point and Point Moore have offered herring and whiting. The Buller River has been going reasonably well for tailor and the odd school mulloway, while south of Horrocks near Bowes River saw school mulloway landed. Geraldton Sports has reported a good run of purchases on crabbing drop nets, suggesting the Fishing Boat Harbour or the Batavia Coast Marina could be holding blue swimmers. Younger fishers have been plucking a few cod of various sizes out from the mullet schools in the marina when using vibe lures, while just north of the marina a small permit was caught this week.
Thanks to the team at Geraldton Sports Centre for their tips! They will happily provide you with great gear and solid advice for your next fishing trip.
Lobster have been the main focus this week, with the whites marching in good numbers. They are expected to really kick into gear as the full moon begins to wane. Unfortunately, a persistent run of southerlies has kept conditions challenging. Most crews have chosen the smart approach by ducking out at first light while it’s calm, pulling their pots, and heading back before the wind strengthens. As always, caution should come first and no cray is worth taking risks for. Check the forecast, pick your window, and if conditions look marginal for your boat size, leave it for another day. For those who do make it out, there’s been a welcome bonus as striped tuna have been active just outside the White Bank. It’s well worth scanning the horizon after pulling the pots for any birds working close by as this usually means tuna action beneath the surface. Inside the Bay, fishing has been excellent. Herring, skippy and King George whiting have all been feeding well, making the bay a reliable refuge for smaller boats or anyone avoiding the bumpier water offshore. Early on both mornings this weekend looks to be the best time to launch but exercise caution as the southerly winds will still make it quite choppy.
Tailor fishing has been firing, with fish feeding hard at first and last light. The beaches north and south of town along with the jetty have all been producing consistent catches. After dark, small whaler sharks have been frequent visitors and kept things interesting for those who persisted into the night. Most mornings will usually offer a brief south-easterly breeze to help keep conditions comfortable, but the howling southerlies that kick in later will see most land-based fishers tucking in behind the points. Fence Reef, North Point, Virgin Reef, Didie Point and Narrow Neck all provide shelter from these southerlies and should fish well when the afternoon wind decides to blow.
Big thanks to Peter Fullarton for his tips on what's biting around Lancelin each week! If you want Peter to put you on to the fish directly, make sure you check out his Tailored Treks Tours page. Peter knows the best spots around Lancelin like the back of his hand.
Good nannygai, breaksea and harlequin fish have been taken on the lumps in 40-60m, with Figure of Eight Island and Leg of Lamb the hotspots. Dart Reef has held Samsonfish and yellowtail kingfish. Big queen snapper and pink snapper have been landed at Observatory Island. King George whiting have been active at Lovers Cove and thumping sand whiting and bull herring were taken in 12m at Wylie Bay. Squid have been in good numbers in 22m behind Cook Rocks. Esperance Bay has held a few squid, herring and snook. Both days this weekend look okay on the forecast, but Sunday and Monday morning looks best. Next week will see the stronger easterly winds return.
Thomas River has offered big flathead to 2kg, along with mulloway and gummy sharks, while Dunn and Rossiter Beaches have produced gummy sharks and salmon. Wylie Bay has been going well for smaller salmon, tarwhine and sand whiting. Skippy and sand whiting have been prolific at Blue Haven. There have been lots of salmon at Fourth Beach, Salmon Beach and 10-Mile Lagoon. Taylor Street and Town Beach jetties have produced herring, garfish and squid after dark. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has been holding flathead and King George whiting. The best bream fishing has been in Wheatfield Lake.
Hats off to the very knowledgeable team at Southern Sports & Tackle for their tips! These guys love their fishing as well, so make sure you swing by their store for the best gear and advice before wetting a line around Esperance.
An early morning jigging session for @andrew_ward_3 out from town saw some stunning species hit the deck, with this queen snapper joined by harlequin fish and nannygai.
Good catches of King George whiting and squid have been the order of the day with both species in good numbers and sizes in Frenchman Bay, at Seal Island, the Limestone areas and near Mistaken Island. Tuna to 75cm have been about at Bald Head, Vancouver Reef and Breaksea Island, while reef species fished very well on the coral ground and at the edge of the shelf over the weekend. Plenty of nannygai were on the shelf and pink snapper were abundant on the coral out from Albany and Hartmans. Cheynes fished very well too, while the shallower waters at all these locations held queen snapper and breaksea cod. Dinghy fishers have continued to pick up pink snapper in the Wilson Inlet and using burley has been the key. Saturday and Monday on the forecast look inviting at this stage.
The marina has offered King George whiting, squid and small cuttlefish, while these species also have been caught at Emu Point where the water clarity has improved. Bream fishers have plucked out some decent fish among the many small ones in the King, Kalgan and Hay Rivers. For beach fishers, Bluff Creek has held herring, skippy and flathead as did Gull Rock and Ledge Beach. For those after bigger species, the rock ledges at West Cape Howe, the Deeps and the Blow Holes have been worth a crack for blue groper and pink snapper when the swells have been low. Winds have been good for land-based squidding despite the unfavourable tide times, with Frenchman Bay and Quaranup worth a visit. If squid don’t play the game, throwing in a bit of burley can usually bring around herring and small King George whiting.Cheers to the Trailblazers Albany crew for their fishing tips this week! Swing by their store if you're after some top gear and advice ahead of your next fishing trip. Remember, Trailblazers Albany have loan lifejackets available if you wish to fish off the rocks, but keeping the sand between your toes is always a safer option.
Hats off to these two youngsters in our South-West this week who love their fishing and had a ball out on the water with their dads. This kraken of a squid put a big smile on the face of @antsimper given it was almost the same height as he was, with Flynn getting stuck into some great King George whiting while out on the water with @good_dhu_dhu.
Few reports of crab captures have come in so far, but it may be worth noting that early in the season the Bunbury Cut side of the Leschenault Estuary generally produces more. It’s not a bad idea to have a troll between net pulls for chopper tailor and herring. Crays are also performing well, with divers getting good numbers and those dropping pots doing well in 8-9m. A few King George whiting and squid have been caught south of Bunbury, but Geographe Bay has been more reliable for both species. The next few early mornings are looking decent on the forecast.
Flats fishers were having a ball on yellowfin whiting in the Leschenault Estuary with vibes and surface lures accounting for plenty of fish and a bit of bycatch starting to show up as well, including chopper tailor, bream, herring and flounder. Plenty of good-sized blue swimmer crabs have been sighted on the flats, but no reports of scoop-netting catches have come in yet. The Collie River has continued to fish well for bream and mulloway either side of a metre have been landed and lost in there as well. The Bunbury Cut, Dalyellup and Back Beach have held mainly herring, along with a few chopper tailor, although Dalyellup has produced some solid tailor around 50cm at times. Sizeable tailor have also been caught at the beaches around Preston, Myalup, Binningup and Buffalo in better numbers. Shore divers have been getting crayfish at Binningup Beach, while the Busselton Jetty has been reliable for squid.
Big cheers to Whitey's Tackle & Camping for their top fishing tips as always! If you're in Australind or Bunbury and are keen to wet a line throughout our South-West make sure you ask their very friendly team who love their fishing for advice and stock up on gear at their store. If you're in Busselton, the 2 Oceans Tackle team are also incredibly helpful.
A cracking brown trout broody on plastic for skilled fisher @castawaybell this week, who has been catching some great fish in both salt and freshwater over the past few weeks.
The freshwater front has been much quieter this week with the better trout catches coming from the Pemberton area. Thompsons Flats, Lefroy Brook and Big Brook Dam have been the better spots, all offering a mix of browns and rainbows. Plenty of small rainbow trout have been sighted at Honeymoon Pool, but they have been reluctant to bite. Regulars suggest if all else fails try Berkley Trout Nuggets or even bits of corn. Harvey, Waroona and Wellington Dams and the Collie townsite have offered redfin perch in various sizes with a handful of 40cm-plus models landed.
Max @mxt_out set a new land-based pinkie PB just north of Mandurah, with this solid 96cm model landed via drone, while plenty of youngsters got stuck into the red hot yellowfin whiting fishing in the Peel-Harvey system this week. Whiting pic: @tackle_world_miami.
Boats
There’s been positive signs in the Peel-Harvey Estuary as the crabbing season opened on Monday. Most crews have been doing well and were taking the time to check the blue swimmer crab shells are not empty or hollow. Most crabs so far have had plenty of meat on them. Early in the season the Yunderup area often fishes well for blue swimmers, but waiting another month or so tends to see much better catches once the water has warmed up more and the crabs have had a chance to moult. Those fishing for yellowfin whiting have also done well in the shallows, while also finding good numbers of tailor and herring along the drop-offs. Squid have started to enter the estuary now that the water is clear with the estuary end of the Dawesville Cut worth a crack for them. Red crays have found their way into pots in the 8-9m depths, but the whites run has yet to start in earnest. Crews have also been keeping an eye out for tuna schools but have not reported any action. King George whiting however have been taken out from Dawesville and sand whiting have been prolific around Five-Fathom Bank. Both Saturday and Sunday morning look okay on the forecast.
The beach front remains quiet, though some big tailor and a couple of decent mulloway were reported down at White Hills and Tims Thicket. North of town, reports of pink snapper catches have come in and the rocks in Mandurah threw up a couple as well. But it’s fair to say most of the action has been in the Peel-Harvey estuary where yellowfin whiting have been abundant and super aggressive. All the flats have produced and at times fishers have found herring feasting on schools of whitebait and big tings mopping up underneath. Coodanup saw giant herring swimming with the whiting. Other locations to try include Island Point in the mornings and late afternoons when there is sufficient water coverage, along with Pleasant Grove and Boundary Island. The Dawesville Cut has been producing squid from the rocks and at the old Jolly Frog Jetty, while herring and chopper tailor have been in good numbers. The Mandurah bridges have also held chopper tailor. The estuary’s canals and marinas have yielded juvenile pink snapper, bream and soapy mulloway, while soapy mulloway and bream have been active in the Murray and Serpentine Rivers.
Thinking of wetting a line around Mandurah? These great tips were courtesy of the super friendly and helpful team at Tackle World Miami so make sure you swing by their store for the best tips and gear before your next fishing trip!
Most of the blue swimmer crabs pulled up at the start of the season in Cockburn Sound have been undersized, so it pays to wait a month or so once it warms up a tad to let the crabs moult. Divers targeting crayfish on the inshore reefs have been doing well and pot-pullers have been finding good numbers in 8-12m as a few whites start to come to the party. King George and sand whiting have been the main inshore catches. Bigger KG’s have been caught behind Garden Island, while Mangles Bay, Parmelia Bank and the inside of Garden Island have offered smaller KG’s and sandies. Skippy have been on the broken ground and tailor have been taken in the white-water around exposed reefs. No tuna schools were sighted this week, but a few crews were enjoying jigging for Samsonfish in the 100m depths. Squid fishing has been slow. Both mornings this weekend look to be your best bet for a duck out.
The beaches have been going all right for tailor with consistent runs at Secret Harbour, Long Point, Port Kennedy and Warnbro. A few herring and sand whiting have been about, and the odd school mulloway has turned up. Yellowfin whiting chasers have had a few follows on topwater lures at the Pond in Safety Bay and tings have been taking baits in the shallows near the grain terminal. A few flounder have been caught at the Penguin Island spit, along with herring and sand whiting. Most of the jetties have offered herring, sand whiting and the odd squid, with better numbers of squid coming from Rockingham Jetty near the yacht club. Like pot-pullers, shore-based divers have found blue swimmer crabs to be mostly undersized.
These great fishing tips were provided by the friendly team at Compleat Angler & Camping World in Rockingham, so make sure you chat to their experienced crew in store and stock up before heading out!
Flounder have been in great numbers throughout the Swan River since summer kicked off, with this youngster having a great time on the Vexed Buckabou jigs alongside her dad @tonys.fishing.adventures. The Buckabou’s have also been working very nicely on the flathead.
The metro FADs are officially in the drink and it shouldn’t take long for dolphinfish and other pelagics to fire up. You can see all FADs coordinates and deployment statuses by visiting our FADs webpage. A few white crays have started to appear in pots dropped in inshore waters, while sand whiting and King George whiting have been caught between Fremantle and Hillarys. Squid fishing has been quiet this week. Better KG’s have come from the Three-Mile Reef, the Windmills and inshore at Rottnest Island. Small tuna have been at Rottnest’s West End, while tailor have been caught at Stragglers and Mewstones. For most, the Swan River crabbing season got off to a quiet start, but more crews have started to troll the river’s middle and lower reaches for chopper tailor. The early mornings are your best bet across this weekend with some brief lulls in the southerly winds.
Calmer conditions have slowed tailor action in the mornings with City Beach, Floreat and Swanbourne offering mainly herring or the odd sand whiting and flathead. South Beach and Coogee have offered a mix of tailor and herring in the afternoons, while the far northern beaches have thrown up the odd pink snapper for drone fishers. Fremantle Harbour and North Mole have been quiet. Fishers wading the Swan River flats found conditions perfect for flathead this week with good lizards landed at the Narrows, Nedlands, Dalkeith, Claremont, Freshwater Bay, Mosman Bay, Rocky Bay, Alfred Cove, Bicton and East Fremantle. Vexed Buckabou jigs have proved an excellent lure choice. Flounder have turned up at most of these locations also. Many anglers have been targeting giant herring which have been in excellent numbers and were widespread throughout the system from Alfred Cove as far up as Maylands. Tailor and flathead have been caught between the Narrows and Redcliffe, but most tailor catches were around the drop-offs at Crawley, Nedlands, Claremont, Rocky Bay and East Fremantle. Mulloway catches have slowed, but school-sized fish have been caught between the Causeway and Bayswater. Bream fishing has been very quiet in the Swan.
A big thanks to Compleat Angler Nedlands for their great metro tips! These guys are all avid fishers, know the best spots for every particular species and have provided great support to Recfishwest and metro fishers for many years. Make sure you ask their super friendly team for advice at their store just off Stirling Highway and stock up before wetting a line off the land or boat!
Our Fishing Report is compiled by West Australian writer and keen angler William Bennett, who contacts tackle stores directly around WA - love your work William!
Recfishwest’s fishing report contributors: Jarrad Lawford (editor and images), Sam Bock, Sedin Hasanovic, Sam Russell, Levi De Boni and Eligh Quigley.
Not a member yet? Join for free today and get exclusive weekly fishing reports, ‘Members First’ updates, and special member-only deals
Stay up to date with news, events and clinics across WA by following us on socials.
Our mailing address is:
First floor, Suite 3, 45 Northside Drive, Hillarys
Perth, WA 6025, Australia
You are receiving this email because you signed up to our newsletter. You can update your preferences or unsubscribe
Copyright © 2025 Recfishwest, All rights reserved.
This Fishing Report was submitted on 12/5/2025 3:45:00 AM by Seamus and last updated on 12/8/2025 6:48:21 AM.
Including GPX (Universal GPS Format), KML (Google Earth), and XLS (Excel) files.
Gives You Access To:
Download GPS files of fishing spots. Create Custom Maps of fishing spots. Fishing predictions w/ future date & location. Featured Listings for your fishing business.
$7 month or $49 year